(1) The Court may, if sufficient cause is shown, at any stage of the suit grant time to the parties or to any of them, and may from time to time adjourn the hearing of the suit.
Costs of adjournment:
(2) In every such case the Court shall fix a day for the further hearing of the suit, and may make such order as it thinks fit with respect to the costs occasioned by the adjournment:
Provided that, when the hearing of evidence has once begun, the hearing of the suit shall be continued from day to day until all the witnesses in attendance have been examined, unless the Court finds the adjournment of the hearing beyond the following day to be necessary for reasons to be recorded.
1[(3) Notwithstanding anything contained in sub-rules (1) and (2), the Court shall not grant more than 2[four] adjournments in a suit before peremptory hearing at the instance of either party to the suit, and any adjournment granted to a party beyond the aforesaid limit shall make such party liable to pay a cost of not less than two hundred taka and not more than one thousand taka to the other party, within time to be specified by it; noncompliance with which, by the plaintiff shall render the suit liable to be dismissed and, by the defendant shall render the suit liable to be disposed of ex parte:
Provided that the Court shall not grant more than three adjournments to a party even with cost under this rule.
(4) Notwithstanding anything contained in the Code, the Court shall not grant any adjournment at the peremptory hearing stage and thereafter in a suit at the instance of either party to the suit:
Provided that if for ends of justice any adjournment is granted to a party under this sub-rule, the Court shall direct that party to pay a cost of not less than two hundred taka and not more than one thousand taka to the other party, within time to be specified by it, noncompliance with which, by the plaintiff shall render the suit liable to be dismissed and, by the defendant shall render the suit liable to be disposed of ex parte:
Provided further that the Court shall not grant more than three adjournments to a party even with cost under the above proviso.
(5) Where applications are made by both the parties for any adjournment under sub-rule (3) or (4) and the applications are allowed with costs, the Court shall direct each party to pay such cost as revenue to the state.
(6) The Court shall not, of its own, order any adjournment under this rule without recording reasons therefor.
(7) A suit dismissed or disposed of ex parte under sub-rule (3) or (4) shall not be revived for hearing unless the party, for whose noncompliance the suit was dismissed or disposed of ex parte, makes within thirty days of such dismissal or ex parte disposal, an application together with cost of two thousand taka into Court for such revival; and upon such application being made, the suit shall be revived for hearing without any further proceeding; and cost deposited into Court shall be paid to the other party.]
Where, on any day to which the hearing of the suit is adjourned, the parties or any of them fail to appear, the Court may
appear on day fixed
proceed to dispose of the suit in one of the modes directed in that behalf by Order IX or make such other order as it thinks fit.
Where any party to a suit to whom time has been granted fails to produce his evidence, or to cause the attendance of his witnesses, or to perform any other act necessary to the further progress of the suit, for which time has been allowed, the Court may, notwithstanding such default, proceed to decide the suit forthwith.